IT management has become an integral part of any enterprise and the choices that are available out there make it easy for any IT team to keep watch. Vendors like IBM, BMC from the Big 4 league and solutions from the point-product vendors like IpSwitch, Solarwinds, ManageEngine etc. have given IT across the globe the ability to keep track of what is happening in their bedrooms! These tools also become important for the IT support team during incident management or problem management.

Some of these tools have integration for mobile devices, where you can keep track of your infrastructure from your mobile devices. But I recently came across a company that talks about infrastructure management from the mobile device only. RoveIT is a Canada-based company who, as they put it, “helps IT administrators resolve incidents faster, reduce network downtime and maximize IT efficiencies”. They help manage IT infrastructure via mobile devices.

How does RoveIT do it? They have two components – Rove Mobile Admin Server and the Rove Mobile Client. The server component is installed on a server within the enterprise network that connects to the different pieces of the IT infrastructure – servers, network components and services. The Rove Mobile Client is installed on the mobile device and connects to the Admin Server to get information. They seem to have built support for most mobile platforms including Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and iPhone. The iPhone support was their latest addition into the Rove IT management family. VPN is not required for the connection.

They package it into two packages – basic and advanced. The basic package can be used if you are looking at general Windows management, remote access and basic networking functions. Other platforms and services can be managed in the advanced edition. If you are looking at comprehensive incident management, you may be better off looking at the advanced edition.

Even though the iPhone interface looks better, the company says that the Blackberry option is more popular. That is no surprise considering the high penetration of Blackberry in the enterprise.

Rove IT started out in 2001 and claim to have more than 2500 customers worldwide. Pricing starts at US$295 for the basic edition and $595 for the advanced edition.

We are closer to 2010 and the recession seems to have slowed down. But everyone is careful. Companies are still trying to keep costs low. Every expense needs to be justified. And that affects the IT department too. Technology is used to keep those costs down. The IT department needs to make the right choices in getting efficient technologies that will reduce the cost of IT.

Apart from the help desk that is implemented to keep track of requests, there are tools out there that can help the IT manager reduce the workload on his support team.

Here are some examples of where the right technology can help the IT support system of any organization reduce costs:

Knowledge Management: This really is not a very new concept. As part of the IT help desk, knowledge management helps the technicians and managers make better and efficient decisions when addressing an incident or a problem. This can be taken one step further where this information/database is made available to the end users – which means that the end users can search the knowledge base at any time, especially before they submit an incident or service request. Most service desk vendors implement this as part of their self service portal.

Self Service Portals: Self Service Portals give end users access to the common knowledge base and the ability to request services or log incidents directly with the IT support team. Self Service Portals are also evolving into Service Catalogs, an ITIL v3 concept, is like a restaurant menu, only in this case, the items on the menu are the services offered by the IT support team. End users can browse through the catalog and order the service they require. The advantage of having self service portals or service catalogs in place is that most of the recording and choosing the service is done by the end user. The IT support team needs only to fulfill the service.

Remote Control: Remote control allows support staff to connect to the end user’s desktop and troubleshoot an incident or fulfil a service. It can reduce the time taken to close a ticket. The idea being that the technician or representative does not have to go to the end user’s location can save time. It also helps support remote or traveling staff.

Asset Management: Keeping track of assets is becoming crucial in today’s economy and corporate goverance. Assets, both hardware and software, needs to be kept track of. There are two advantages of this – 1. Access to the data when a IT support staff needs it. Troubleshooting with details of the asset makes it easier. 2. License compliance. This is hot because nobody wants to get into trouble because they do not have the proper licenses. Asset management, especially Software Asset Management (SAM) also helps in the optimum use of these licenses.

What are the tools you are using to make your IT Support team more efficient and effective? Are there any other tools we should be talking about? Please add your views and thoughts in the comments below. Thanks!

Targeting Small and Medium-sized Business Environments, Alloy Navigator Express is Easy-to-Use, Customizable, and Affordable

NUTLEY, N.J.–Alloy Software, Inc., a leading provider of service and asset management software solutions, today announced the release of Alloy Navigator Express – an integrated Help Desk and Asset Management solution targeting small and medium business environments. Alloy Navigator Express offers an intuitive, easy-to-use approach in managing help desk, hardware and software assets.

Addressing the growing need for even small-scale IT organizations to simplify processes, Alloy Navigator Express is easy to install, configure, and use. The solution includes commonly used workflow automation features such as escalation, notifications, and ticket routing to help save time and enhance service delivery. The built-in asset management helps manage and control hardware and network inventory, as well as keep track of software licenses.

“By launching Alloy Navigator Express, we are expanding our product line to address the specific needs of small and medium sized organizations,” explained Vladimir Vinogradsky, President and CEO at Alloy Software. “This solution is a perfect fit in providing support for their customers, within a manageable budget.”

Alloy Navigator Express is a perfect fit for companies ranging from small IT shops with a single technician, to medium sized organizations. Its low cost makes Alloy Navigator Express an easy choice for any business that requires a robust help desk solution at a fraction of the cost of enterprise solutions.

Additional Key Features:

* Web-based Self-Service Portal with integrated Knowledge Base
* Automatic notifications, escalation, and ticket routing
* Discover Windows, Linux or Mac OS computers on your network
* On-Demand audit of Windows computers
* Track and manage hardware assets and software licenses in your organization
* Remotely access and manage computers on your network
* Synchronize your contact information with Active Directory
* Customize your own reports using the Report Designer
* No need for expensive database administration or client software
* Easy installation and configuration

Pricing & Availability:

Available today, Alloy Navigator Express is priced per technician and computer node. Pricing for a three-agent license supporting 100 computers is $990, with special discounts for education and government institutions, and customers switching to Alloy from their current solution.

About Alloy Software:

Established in 2002, Alloy Software is a leading provider of service management, asset management, and network inventory software solutions that help organizations of all sizes automate IT operations. Today, still under original management, Alloy Software has been named one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and received numerous accolades such as the Software 500 and Product of The Year awards from industry publications. For more information contact Alloy Software at (973) 661-9700 or visit www.alloy-software.com.
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